DOCSLIB.ORG

The Apologetic Specific of Jacob's of Serugh Theology in the Context Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Apologetic Specific of Jacob's of Serugh Theology in the Context Of The Apologetic Specific of Jacob’s of Serugh Theology in the Context of the Syriac Tradition Archdeac. Assist. Prof. Ioniţă APOSTOLACHE* Abstract: The Syriac theology was affirmed in the first Christian centuries especially throughout a symbolic and mystic specificity. Starting with Saint Ephrem, the thinking of the Syriac Fathers followed the biblical dimension of the Church’s tradition that had become a real “vehicle for theology”. In this context, Jacob of Serugh is one of the most prolifically Syriac hymnologists. He carries on Saint Ephrem’s stile, expressing much moderated in the problem of monophysitism. Al- though he learned at the same school as Philoxene of Maboug, Jacob didn’t have any polemical approach in his writings on dogmatic issues or more. He was main- tained on the tradition of the Syriac Fathers. In our study we had tried to underline the personality of the grate Syriac hymnologist and to put into light the apologetic specific of his work. Moreover, the teaching about our Savior Jesus Christ was also accentuated by quotes from Jacob’s writings. Keywords: Syriac theology, Jacob of Sarugh, hymnogrtaphy, christology, apologetic approach The Syriac theology knew a special development in the first Christian cen- turies. This important feature of the Christian Church was underlined through a very strong apologetic work promoted by many symbols and biblical images. In this context, it was situated apart by the influence of the philosophical ter- minology of concepts. Graphed on the old Aramaic tradition, the Syriac theol- * Archdeac. Ioniţă Apostolache, Assistant Professor at the Orthodox Faculty of Theology, University of Craiova, Romania. RT 97 (2015), nr. 4, p. 68-82 The Apologetic Specific of Jacob’s of Serugh Theology in the Context of the Syriac Tradition Articles ogy is in his all heritage1 a “veritable vehicle for the Christianity from the first centuries”.2 Moreover, the context of interaction between the Semitic specific and the Greek influences is very important in the process of understanding the manner of promoting the truth of confession and also in the genesis of Christo- logical doctrine in the Church.3 The interaction between the Greek and Syriac theology had become a certification starting from the fourth century. From this moment, the Christian apologetic in the Syrian areal has enriched with many translations, writings and also with a martyrical confession beyond the pagan oppression. This reality is also valid for the Greek apologetic. In this period the Greek translations from the work of Saint Ephrem were realized according to the original form. On the other hand, the theological work of Theodor of Mopsuestia and Diodor of Thars was entirely known in the Greek environment together with many liturgical texts from the Syriac areal.4 Moreover, the theological Schools form Antioch and Edessa were also very important in this process. These two places are the most important centers from the Syriac apologetics because here they are intellectually formed the most known theologians and confessors in the Oriental Christianity. After the Constantine peace, the Roman side of Syria is more opened to the dialogue with the Greek areal, developing a dynamic theology based on the writings of Saint Ephrem, Saint John Chrysostom and also of the Syrian doctors. Unfortunately, the Persian side of the Syrian territory still remained on the op- 1 You can see: Ioniţă Apostolache, „The Syriac Theological Heritage in the Context of the Christological Controversies from the First Christian Centuries”, în The Christian Paradigm of a United Europe. Theology and Mystique in the Work of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Ed. Mitropolia Olteniei, Craiova, 2015, p. 212-226. 2 “Christianity used Syriac as the vehicle for its message and doctrine and monopolized this language for its exclusive use” – see: Hendrik Jan Willem Drijvers, “Syrian Christianity and Juda- ism”, in J. Lieu – J. North – T. Rajak (edd.), The Jews Among Pagans and Christians. In the Roman Empire (London – New York 1992) p. 126; cf also Lucas Van Rompay, “The East (3): Syria and Mesopotamia,” in S. Ashbrook Harvey – D. G. Hunter (edd.), The Oxford Handbook of Early Chris- tian Studies (Oxford 2008), p. 366; Bawai Soro, The Church of the East. Apostolic & Orthodox, San Jose, CA 2007, p. 100. 3 “From the fifth century onwards” – says Leslie William Barnard – “Syriac-speaking Chris- tianity became, in the main, secondary to Greek Christendom. But that it had an original existence with a theological approach of its own should not be forgotten in the study of the origins of the Church” (The Origins and Emergence of the Church in Edessa during the First Two Centuries A.D., in “Vigiliae Christianae”, no. 22/1968, p. 175). 4 Sebastian Brock believes that this exchange started from the time of Tatian, although the process of theological interaction is visible at the start of the fourth century – see: Sebastian p. Brock, Syriac Culture, 337-425, in “Cambridge Ancient History” (CAH) XIII, p. 717. 69 Archdeac. Assist. Prof. Ioniţă Apostolache pression of pagan persecutions,5 generating a martyrical apologetic based on a mystic and symbolic expression. From the fifth until the seventh century the two geographic parts from the Syrian Church (Roman and Persian), separated until by the political differences, were now divided by the doctrinal disagreements. So it makes, analyzing these problematic from a doctrinal point of view, specially related by the two natures and wills of our Lord Jesus Christ, the divinity and the humanity, we reach the true reason of splitting in the western Christianity.6 Start- ing from Chalcedon (451), the Christological problematic had generated the tree old Syrian Churches: the Western Church, the Orthodox Syrian Church and the Maronite Church. On this background, “the frequently lethal conflicts between the Greek Church of the Byzantine Empire and the Syriac Churches over such issues only ceased with the incorporation of most Syriac Christians into the Arab Muslim Caliphate during the 630s. As a result of these theological disagreements, opposing churches excommunicated each other, that is, they denied members of the other communions the opportunity to receive the Eucharist during the Divine Liturgy on Sundays”.7 The post-calcedonian period had generated therefore the crucial moment from the history of the Syriac Church. In this way, the Syriac Christianity from the Roman Empire was split in two: the one who accepted the teachings of Chalcedon Council (Chalcedonians) and the ones who rejected it (non-Chalcedonians). Both sides invoked the orthodox spirit: the first of them became known like “Greek 5 We must mention here the persecutions of Sapur II, that slathered all the Christian who de- nied the Zoroastrism (Robert R. Phenix jr. and Cornelia B. Horn, Syriac Speaking Churches: Their Origin and History to the Eighteen Century, in „Buletin od Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies 7, no. 2/2005, p. 12). „Dezvoltarea majoră a Bisericii Creştine în Imperiul Roman după Edictul de la Mediolanum, notează Winkler, la fel şi controversa ariană soluţionată la Nicea (325) nu au avut ecou în Biserica Siriacă din Imperiul Persan. Dimpotrivă, sub parţi atitudinea faţă de creştini a fost una de toleranţă, sub sasanizi persecuţiile izolate pe motiv de apostazie de la yoroastrism, pe când în vremea împăratului Sapur al II-lea acestea au atins apogeul” (D. W. Winkler, The Church of the East. A concise history, London – New York, 2003, p. 11; Bawai Soro, The Church of the East. Apostolic and Ortodox, Adiabene Publications, San Jose (SUA), 2007, p. 146). 6 „Unfortunately, says the Metropolitan Irineu Popa, with all the precautions taken by the council of Chalcedon it did not bring peace within the Church. If the West generally remains faith- ful to the dogmatic definition, very soon in the East there was a hostile reaction that will last until today. Therefore, those who interpreted the formula of St. Cyril in the opposite direction of the two natures, considered the dogmatic judgments of Pope Leo as a victory, which meant for them a vic- tory of Nestorianism. Consequently, this party did not recognize either the Council of Chalcedon or the local bishops, who received its definition, creating a beginning for the heterodox monophysite Churches” (IPS prof. univ. dr. Irineu Popa, Iisus Hristos este Acelaşi, ieri şi azi, şi în veac, Ed. Mitropolia Olteniei, Craiova, 2010, p. 288). 7 Robert R. Phenix jr. and Cornelia B. Horn, Syriac Speaking Churches ..., p. 12-13. 70 The Apologetic Specific of Jacob’s of Serugh Theology in the Context of the Syriac Tradition Articles Orthodox” or “Melchite”, while the latter came to be called “Syrian Orthodox”.8 We didn’t forget here neither the reconciliation attempts between these two Syriac churches. In this way, the byzantine emperors have made significant efforts to “draw the Miaphysites at the orthodox faith, obligating for many times the or- thodox people to accept some doctrinal concessions. Between these emperors the name of Zenon is well known, with his famous Honoticon, in which he declared that our Lord Jesus Christ is one, anathematizing Nestorius and also Eutihius, but broking the good relationships between West and West. 9 The generated Schism lasted from 484, until the time of the emperor Justinian, who reactivated the teach- ing from the Chalcedon Council”.10 Beyond these attempts, in the non-Chalcedonian side of the Syriac Church were highlighted two representative personalities for the miaphysitic Christology: Philoxene if Maboug, who represented the Syriac speaking side from the patri- archate of Antioch and Sever of Antioch, who was the Greek speaker leader from the Miaphysiric Church. 11 Beside of them some orientalists researchers placed the figure of Jacob of Serugh, bishop of great theological subtlety, famous hym- nologist of the Syriac Church. Although he studied with Philoxene at Edessa, this seems to be the only thing that they have in commune.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Gateway to the Syriac Saints: a Database Project Jeanne-Nicole Mellon Saint-Laurent Marquette University, [email protected]
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Theology Faculty Research and Publications Theology, Department of 1-1-2016 Gateway to the Syriac Saints: A Database Project Jeanne-Nicole Mellon Saint-Laurent Marquette University, [email protected] Published version. Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture, Vol. 5, No. 1 (2016): 183-204. Permalink. © 2016 St. John's College. Used with permission. 183 http://jrmdc.com Gateway to the Syriac Saints: A Database Project Jeanne-Nicole Mellon Saint-Laurent Marquette University, USA Contact: [email protected] Keywords: Syriac; hagiography; late antiquity; saints; manuscripts; digital humanities; theology; religious studies; history Abstract: This article describes The Gateway to the Syriac Saints, a database project developed by the Syriac Reference Portal (www.syriaca.org). It is a research tool for the study of Syriac saints and hagiographic texts. The Gateway to the Syriac Saints is a two-volume database: 1) Qadishe and 2) Bibliotheca Hagiographica Syriaca Electronica (BHSE). Hagiography, the lives of the saints, is a multiform genre. It contains elements of myth, history, biblical exegesis, romance, and theology. The production of saints’ lives blossomed in late antiquity alongside the growth of the cult of the saints. Scholars have attended to hagiographic traditions in Greek and Latin, but many scholars have yet to Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture Volume 5, Issue 1 (2016) https://jrmdc.com 184 discover the richness of Syriac hagiographic literature: the stories, homilies, and hymns on the saints that Christians of the Middle East told and preserved. It is our hope that our database will give scholars and students increased access to these traditions to generate new scholarship.
    [Show full text]
  • Ancient Syriac Sources on Mary's Role As Intercessor
    Syriac Sources C ORNELIA HORN Ancient Syriac Sources on Mary’s Role as Intercessor INTRODUCTION Mariology is an aspect of theological inquiry and a subdiscipline of Christian dogma, to the study of which the Syriac tradition is able to make a solid contribution.1 Ideas and thoughts about Mary and her relevance in the history of Christianity are well represented and beautifully developed in texts written in Syriac, beginning already in ancient Christianity.2 The fourth- and fifth-century poets Ephraem the Syrian and Jacob of Serugh, for example, composed numerous stunning lines of reflective meditations on Mary’s role in the life of Christ. Over the course of the twentieth century, a respectable number of scholars with specialist expertise in Syriac studies, including Ignacio Ortiz de Urbina, Edmund Beck, and Sebastian Brock, have dedicated remarkable efforts to studying and making available to a modern audience through editions and translations important ancient sources that speak of Jesus’ mother in the Syriac language.3 Dominant themes in ancient Syriac mariology that have been highlighted in scholarly studies are Mary’s moth- erhood of the Son of God, her virginity, humility, reception of God’s mercy, purity, and any traces one might be able to identify of Mary being active in the work of salvation or reconciling human beings with God. The theme mentioned last is related to Mary’s role as intercessor. Yet if one defines intercession more narrowly and precise- ly as the activity of a person who intervenes with God for the needs and concerns of human beings and other creatures primarily through prayer,4 Mary’s role as intercessor as featured in early Christian texts in Syriac is not a topic that has been singled out for much sustained attention.
    [Show full text]
  • The Syrian Orthodox Church and Its Ancient Aramaic Heritage, I-Iii (Rome, 2001)
    Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 5:1, 63-112 © 2002 by Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute SOME BASIC ANNOTATION TO THE HIDDEN PEARL: THE SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND ITS ANCIENT ARAMAIC HERITAGE, I-III (ROME, 2001) SEBASTIAN P. BROCK UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD [1] The three volumes, entitled The Hidden Pearl. The Syrian Orthodox Church and its Ancient Aramaic Heritage, published by TransWorld Film Italia in 2001, were commisioned to accompany three documentaries. The connecting thread throughout the three millennia that are covered is the Aramaic language with its various dialects, though the emphasis is always on the users of the language, rather than the language itself. Since the documentaries were commissioned by the Syrian Orthodox community, part of the third volume focuses on developments specific to them, but elsewhere the aim has been to be inclusive, not only of the other Syriac Churches, but also of other communities using Aramaic, both in the past and, to some extent at least, in the present. [2] The volumes were written with a non-specialist audience in mind and so there are no footnotes; since, however, some of the inscriptions and manuscripts etc. which are referred to may not always be readily identifiable to scholars, the opportunity has been taken to benefit from the hospitality of Hugoye in order to provide some basic annotation, in addition to the section “For Further Reading” at the end of each volume. Needless to say, in providing this annotation no attempt has been made to provide a proper 63 64 Sebastian P. Brock bibliography to all the different topics covered; rather, the aim is simply to provide specific references for some of the more obscure items.
    [Show full text]
  • Martyrs, Saints & Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox
    Martyrs, Saints & Prelates of The Syriac Orthodox Church Volume I Fr. K. Mani Rajan, M.Sc., M.Ed., Ph.D. The Travancore Syriac Orthodox Publishers Kottayam - 686 004 Kerala, India. 2007 1 Martyrs, Saints & Prelates of The Syriac Orthodox Church (Volume I) By Fr. K. Mani Rajan, M.Sc., M.Ed., Ph.D. First Edition 2007 Copyright Reserved All rights reserved. No reproduction or translation in whole or part is allowed without written permission from the author. Price Rs. 100.00 U.S. $ 10.00 Typesetting and Cover Design by: M/s Vijaya Book House, M.G.University, Athirampuzha Printed at: Dona Colour Graphs, Kottayam Published By: The Travancore Syriac Orthodox Publishers Kottayam - 686 004 Kerala, India. Phone: +91 481 3100179, +91 94473 15914 E-mail: [email protected] Copies: 1000 2 Contents Preface Apostolic Bull of H. H. Patriarch Abbreviations used 1. St. John, the Baptist .................................................. 2. S t . S t e p h e n , t h e Martyr ................................................................................ 3. St. James, the Disciple ............................................... 4. St. James, the First Archbishop of Jerusalem ............ 5. King Abgar V of Urhoy ................................................ 6. St. Mary, the Mother of God ....................................... 7. St. Peter, the Disciple ................................................. 8. St. Paul, the Disciple .............................................................................. 9. St. Mark, the Evangelist ............................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Dissertations (2009 -) Projects Fire in the Bread, Life in the Body: The Pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian David Kiger Marquette University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Kiger, David, "Fire in the Bread, Life in the Body: The Pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian" (2020). Dissertations (2009 -). 913. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/913 FIRE IN THE BREAD, LIFE IN THE BODY: THE PNEUMATOLOGY OF EPHREM THE SYRIAN by David Wesley Kiger, B.C.M, B.Th., M.Div. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 2020 ABSTRACT FIRE IN THE BREAD, LIFE IN THE BODY: THE PNEUMATOLOGY OF EPHREM THE SYRIAN David Wesley Kiger, B.C.M., B.Th., M.Div. Marquette University, 2020 The fourth century debates about the status and personhood of the Son later expanded to reflections on the status and person of the Holy Spirit. In this dissertation I examine the pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian, who is often over-looked in discussions about fourth century pneumatology. I argue that Ephrem displays a high pneumatology that fits within the broad contours of the pro-Nicene movement. I begin with a discussion of Ephrem’s Syriac heritage and focus on the themes and language surrounding the Holy Spirit in pre-Nicene Syriac texts. Pre-Nicene Syriac authors speak about the Spirit’s role in liturgical practices, often using feminine or maternal language to describe the Spirit’s work.
    [Show full text]
  • The Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus in Syriac and Arab Sources – a Comparative Study
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Analecta Cracoviensia ORIENTALIA CHRISTIANA CRACOVIENSIA 2 (2010) Bartłomiej Grysa Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań The Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus in Syriac and Arab sources – a comparative study The Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, in the Syriac tradition known as Aḥē Dmīḥē or Ṭalyē d-Efesōs, in Arabic as Ahl al-Kahf or Aṣḥāb al-Kahf, is one of many examples of borrowings from the Christian tradition made by the Muslim one and above all by the Koran. In the region where Islam evolved in the beginning, there was a population professing Judaism and Christianity. Judaism was professed by ca. 1 per cent of the population of the Arabian Peninsula. Christianity, for its part, was professed by ca. 10 per cent.1 Thus Mohammed had an easy access to the monotheistic religious ideas that existed on the Arabian Peninsula. The Muslim tradition maintains that one of the first questions Jews asked Muhammad, when he came to Medina, concerned exactly the Seven Sleepers.2 Finding the influence of the Jewish tradition on the emergence of a Muslim version of the legend, however, seems unlikely. The text of Ibn ‘Abbās, a cousin of Mohammed, one of the first exegetes of the Koran, sheds some light on it. Ibn ‘Abbās reported that one of the Brothers descended to Ephesus after their awakening and after sleeping more than 300 years he pointed to the house where he claimed to live, thus proving his Ephesian origin to a local ruler.
    [Show full text]
  • Menander Protector, Fragments 6.1-3
    Menander Protector, Fragments 6.1-3 Sasanika Sources History of Menander the Guardsman (Menander Protector) was written at the end of the sixth century CE by a minor official of the Roman/Byzantine court. The original text is in Greek, but has survived only in a fragmentary form, quoted in compilations and other historical writings. The author, Menander, was a native of Constantinople, seemingly from a lowly class and initially himself not worthy of note. In a significant introductory passage, he courageously admits to having undertaken the writing of his History (’ st a) as a way of becoming more respectable and forging himself a career. He certainly was a contemporary and probably an acquaintance of the historian Theophylact Simocatta and worked within the same court of Emperor Maurice. His title of “Protector” seems to suggest a military position, but most scholars suspect that this was only an honorary title without any real responsibilities. Menander’s history claims to continue the work of Agathias and so starts from the date that Agathias left off, namely AD 557. His style of presentation, if not his actual writing style, are thus influenced by Agathias, although he seems much less partial than the former in presentation of the events. He seems to have had access to imperial archives and reports and consequently presents us with a seemingly accurate version of the events, although at time he might be exaggerating some of his facts. The following is R. C. Blockley’s English translation of the fragments 6.1-3 of Menander Protector’s History, which deals directly with the Sasanian-Roman peace treaty of 562 and provides us with much information about the details of negotiations that took place around this treaty.
    [Show full text]
  • Syriac Sacred Chant: It's Role in Shaping Liturgical Life
    SYRIAC SACRED CHANT: IT’S ROLE IN SHAPING LITURGICAL LIFE AND COMMUNAL IDENTITY OF THE SYRIAC COMMUNITY By Gabriel Aydin So outstanding is the nature of Syriac sacred music—when the sacred word (text) is fused with the sound (music) creates an extra ordinary power through which the faithful can attain their spiritual goals and lift themselves up from the ordinary to the higher level of consciousness— that the Syriac poet-theologians and hymnographers chose this phenomenon 1600 years ago to knit their prose and poetry that laid the foundation of Syriac rich musical heritage. Their hymns give not only religious reference to and offers a strong view of the liturgical rite and faith of the Syriac church, but also forms an important part of the Syriac both religious and cultural identity, ideology, symbols, moral values, and the collective cultural memory of Syriac Christians. A very short overview of the Syriac chant will promote our understanding as well as the significance of this musical phenomenon. Syriac sacred chant, is one of the oldest existing chant traditions (similar to the western tradition of plainsong), composed in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, the language that was spoken by Jesus Christ, together with their melodies. Among the large number of distinct features that are embedded in Syriac sacred chant, a) simplicity in text and melody (so that the theological reasoning that lays behind the text would be easily comprehended by diverse communities, simple worshippers and monastics to embrace the Word of God), b) along with sacred text, various musical characteristics of Syriac chant such as the microtonal variation of intervals, words in metrics, the melodic construction, dynamics, modal system of eight—which represent the impressive formulae of the earlier evolution of the Syriac church in the field of ecclesiastical music—are a couple of vital entities that function in tandem to produce a consistent, compelling, and spiritual sacred chant.
    [Show full text]
  • The Church As a Eucharistic and Prophetic Community in India: A
    Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Spring 5-11-2018 The hC urch as a Eucharistic and Prophetic Community in India: A Theological Exploration into the Challenges and Implications of a Eucharistic Ecclesiology Based on the Early Church and the Statements of the Indian Theological Association (ITA) Shibi Devasia Duquesne University Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Devasia, S. (2018). The hC urch as a Eucharistic and Prophetic Community in India: A Theological Exploration into the Challenges and Implications of a Eucharistic Ecclesiology Based on the Early Church and the Statements of the Indian Theological Association (ITA) (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1433 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE CHURCH AS A EUCHARISTIC AND PROPHETIC COMMUNITY IN INDIA: A THEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION INTO THE CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS OF A EUCHARISTIC ECCLESIOLOGY BASED ON THE EARLY CHURCH AND THE STATEMENTS OF THE INDIAN THEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (ITA) A Dissertation Submitted to McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Theology By Shibi Devasia May 2018 Copyright by Shibi Devasia 2018 ABSTRACT THE CHURCH AS A EUCHARISTIC AND PROPHETIC COMMUNITY IN INDIA: A THEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION INTO THE CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS OF A EUCHARISTIC ECCLESIOLOGY BASED ON THE EARLY CHURCH AND THE STATEMENTS OF THE INDIAN THEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (ITA) By Shibi Devasia May 2018 Dissertation supervised by Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • 157 Alessandro Mengozzi, Ed., Religious Poetry in Vernacular Syriac from Northern Iraq (17Th–20Th Centuries). an Anthology, CS
    BOOK REVIEWS Alessandro Mengozzi, ed., Religious Poetry in Vernacular Syriac from Northern Iraq (17th–20th Centuries). An Anthology, CSCO 627–628 / Syr. 240–241 (Louvain: Peeters, 2011). Pp. xx + 129, €65; pp. xxiv + 163; €60. AARON MICHAEL BUTTS, YALE UNIVERSITY The two volumes under review contain editions and English translations of seven poems dating from the early seventeenth to the late twentieth century. The poems are written in what the editor terms ‘Vernacular Syriac’ (or ‘Sureth’, from Classical Syriac surāʾit ‘in Syriac’), which encompasses a variety of North-Eastern Neo- Aramaic dialects that were spoken, and occasionally written, by East-Syriac authors, whether Church of the East or Chaldean, in Northern Iraq. All of the poems belong to the dorekta genre, which is generally characterized by stanzas of 3, 4, or 6 metered, rhyming lines. The poems in the volumes expand the scope of the editor’s earlier collection of seventeenth-century dorekta poems by Israel of Alqosh and Joseph of Telkepe, which appeared in the same series.1 Each of the seven poems is presented in a critical edition in East-Syriac script (the denotation of vowels follows the manuscripts) and English translation along with an introduction. The poems are arranged in chronological order. The earliest poem in the collection, and possibly the earliest dated example of the dorekta genre extant, is On Repentance. In two of the three manuscripts, it is attributed to a certain Hormizd of Alqosh, who may tentatively be identified as the son of the well-known Israel of Alqosh. The text stands in the tradition of East-Syriac penitential hymns, and it contains numerous exempla drawn from the Old and New Testaments.
    [Show full text]
  • Syriac (Common Course)
    CMS COLLEGE KOTTAYAM (AUTONOMOUS) Affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala CURRICULUM FOR ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE COURSES IN SYRIAC FOR UNDER GRADUATE PROGRAMMES UNDER CHOICE BASED CREDIT SYSTEM 2018 (with effect from 2018) Approved by the Board of Studies on 3-4-2018 CONTENTS 1. Board of Studies 2. Acknowledgement 3. Preface 4. Curriculum a. Graduate Programme Outcome 5. Detailed Syllabus of the courses offered by the Department 2 BOARD OF STUDIES 1. Fr. Kurien Daniel, Rtd. Head the Department, Dept of Syriac, Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta (Chairman) 2. Dr. Thomas Parakottu, Assistant Director, SEERI, Kottayam. (Member) 3. Rev. Saju C. Pappachan, Marthoma Theological Seminary Kottayam. (Member) 4. Smt. Manju Joseph, HSSC, KE School, Mannanam, Kottayam. (Member) 5. Smt. Mariamma Abraham, HSSC, KE School, Mannanam, Kottayam. (Member) 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Board of Studies in Syriac (Under Graduate), Department of Syriac, CMS College takes this opportunity to express our deep appreciation to all academicians and representatives from the industry who participated in the numerous meeting that were arranged during the year, held at CMS College. Our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. N. J. Rao, Former Professor, Indian Institute of Science for the 2 day workshop on curriculum designing and to Dr. T P Sasikumar, Former Space Scientist, ISRO for the 2 day curriculum workshop, and to Dr. C James, Associate Professor in Physics, Scott Christian College for the workshop on question bank design. Chairman Board of Studies 4 PREFACE Curriculum in Syriac was developed by the Syriac Board of studies of C.M.S College (Autonomous) Kottayam, for B.A/B.Sc/B.Com.
    [Show full text]
  • The Maronites Cistercian Studies Series: Number Two Hundred Forty-Three
    The Maronites CISTERCIAN STUDIES SERIES: NUMBER TWO HUNDRED FORTY-THREE The Maronites The Origins of an Antiochene Church A Historical and Geographical Study of the Fifth to Seventh Centuries Abbot Paul Naaman Translated by The Department of Interpretation and Translation (DIT), Holy Spirit University Kaslik, Lebanon 2009 Cistercian Publications www.cistercianpublications.org LITURGICAL PRESS Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org Maps adapted from G. Tchalenko, Villages antiques de la syrie du Nord (1953), T. II Pl. XXIII, Pl. XXIV, Pl. XXV. Used with permission. A Cistercian Publications title published by Liturgical Press Cistercian Publications Editorial Offices Abbey of Gethsemani 3642 Monks Road Trappist, Kentucky 40051 www.cistercianpublications.org © 2011 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Naaman, Paul, 1932– The Maronites : the origins of an Antiochene church : a historical and geographical study of the fifth to seventh centuries / Paul Naaman ; translated by the Department of Interpretation and Translation (DIT), Holy Spirit University, Kaslik, Lebanon. p. cm. — (Cistercian studies series ; no. 243) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-87907-243-8 (pbk.) — ISBN 978-0-87907-794-5 (e-book) 1.
    [Show full text]